| Chapter Twenty: He Who Digivolves and Runs Away... |
| Khalid and Tim explored the corridors of the building, Tim staring at his Digivice�s radar and Khalid warning him of enemy presence. Eventually they reached the part of the building where one of their accomplices was being held. Khalid looked around the corner, and saw that there were Bakemon guards standing outside the room their friend was in. �Do you know who it is that�s in there?� Khalid asked in a whisper, turning back to Tim. �No, the radar doesn�t say.� Tim told him. Then he looked up. �Something�s happening!� Khalid turned and saw Kerri walk out of the room in handcuffs, accompanied by the Bakemon. Khalid looked down at Slipmon. �Slipmon, Digivolve!� Khalid said. �No, don�t!� Tim objected. �What?� Khalid asked. �Why not?� �Our Digimon are low on energy, and we could learn more by just following them.� Tim explained. �What could we learn?� Slipmon asked. �He�s got a point, they might lead us to one of the others!� Okamon said. �Alright, let�s follow them.� Khalid said, before he and Tim sneaked off on the trail of the Bakemon. |
| Sam and Adrian looked down the hallway as the Bakemon led Kerri. �We gotta hide.� Sam said simply. �Where?� Adrian asked. Sam approached the corner of the room and kneeled down. �Here will be fine.� �What?� Adrian said, walking over to him. �They�ll find us here!� �You overestimate them, Adrian.� Sam replied, grabbing Adrian by the T-shirt and pulling him down. �They won�t see us.� �I don�t think they�ll come this way.� Onomon said. �And if they do find us, we can beat a few Bakemon.� �Yeah!� Bubbomon said, jumping next to Sam and laying down. Kerri and the Bakemon came out of the walkway and turned away from Sam and Adrian, leading them round the corner. Adrian and Sam silently stood and followed when, to their surprise, Khalid, Tim and their Digimon turned the corner out of the walkway. Adrian smiled and followed them. Khalid and Tim reached a corner and peered around it. They watched as Kerri was led down to a certain point, then a cage was unlocked and three Digimon were led out. They were Slythamon, Moosemon and Eaglemon, all of which were swiftly handcuffed and led back down the corridor. Adrian, Sam, Khalid and Tim all backed away as the Bakemon accompanied Kerri and the three Digimon through the corridors. �We have to follow them!� Sam said. �Yeah, that�s right Sam�� Tim trailed off. �Sam?� Khalid and Tim turned and saw the other two, who merely smiled at their discovery. �Hey guys, how�s it going?� Khalid asked. �There�s no time!� Adrian shouted. �Quickly, follow them!� The eight of them followed the Bakemon down the corridors. Soon, Bakemon behind Kerri also led Audrey and Darren out of their cells. The entourage eventually reached an execution room, where the Bakemon led the young people and their Digimon inside, tied them down and exited, laughing. �Now you guys!� Khalid demanded, looking down at the four Digimon. �It�s time to Digivolve!� �Okamon Digivolve to�Shocamon!� �Onomon Digivolve to�Katonomon!� �Bubbomon Digivolve to�Tridemon!� �Slipmon Digivolve to�Hereticmon!� �Huh?� One of the Bakemon uttered as they left the room. �Buzz Shocker!� Shocamon shouted, firing an electric jolt at the Bakemon. �Trident Flame!� Tridemon said, a string of flames appearing from his trident. �Money Shot!� Katonomon announced, firing a salvo of white balls of energy at the Bakemon. �Darkness Grenades!� Hereticmon declared, firing several black balls of energy at the ghost Digimon. The four attacks hit the Bakemon and all six of them turned to dust. The four Digimon ran into the execution room and looked around, followed by the four humans. The execution room was very similar to that Adrian and Sam had been in, except instead of a big shutter for the executioner to enter, there was merely an ordinary door. Darren, Audrey and Kerri were strapped to the opposite wall, while the Digimon were in the cages. �Hey, guys!� Darren shouted. �Get us out of here!� Kerri screamed as loud as she could. �My hands are hurting!� �Alright, alright�� Tridemon said, approaching the control panel of the machine and clambering onto it with Sam�s help. �What did you do last time?� Sam asked. �I stabbed something�but I can�t remember what.� Tridemon said. He smiled. �So I�ll just stab everything.� Tridemon ran around the control panel as though he were possessed by something, stabbing the machinery at several points with his trident. Meanwhile, Hereticmon approached the cage in which Slythamon, Moosemon and Eaglemon stood. Slythamon, however, was too thin to be restricted by the wide placing of the cage�s bars, so she had been strapped to one of the bars. Hereticmon picked the cage up and shook it. The three Digimon inside screamed as they were shaken up and down. �Stop that, Hereticmon!� Moosemon complained. �Sorry.� Hereticmon apologised, grabbing two of the bars and pulling them apart. Unlike the bars of the jail, these moved apart quite easily. They must have been made of a weaker metal. Hereticmon broke Slythamon�s binds and the three rookie Digimon exited the cage. Then the lights went out, and cries of general confusion arose. �Opps�� The group heard Tridemon utter, after a moment of silence. �Tridemon, what have you done?� Sam asked. �I think I turned the lights off.� Tridemon replied. �Hurry up and get them out, Tridemon!� Tim insisted. �Yeah, I�m trying!� Tridemon replied. The group heard the sound of metal clanging against metal as Tridemon continued his work. Then, with a final clang, three screams were heard, followed by three low thuds. �I guess I did it.� Tridemon said with pride. �You could have warned us!� Kerri shouted. �Don�t be so ungrateful, Kerri!� Tridemon argued. �Yeah, Kerri, be thankful!� Audrey spoke. �Thanks, Tridemon!� �Guys, where�s the way out?� Khalid asked. �Here.� Darren spoke, opening the door through which they had come, a ray of light seeping into the completely dark room. The seven humans and their Digimon partners, with Onomon and Slipmon back in their rookie forms, piled out of the room. �We�re all together again�� Audrey said. �No, we�re not.� Darren objected. �Andrea isn�t here.� �Hi guys�� They heard a voice say. They all turned around and, standing behind them, was Andrea, flanked by Salamon. �Andrea!� Kerri shouted, running to her friend and wrapping her arms around her. Kerri stopped when she noticed that Andrea had shown no reaction. She looked into Andrea�s eyes; the older girl had been overtaken with an eerily emotionless expression and demeanour. �Hi Kerri�� Andrea said simply, her voice strangely monotonous and cold. Kerri backed away from her. �What�s wrong, Andi?� Kerri asked. �Nothing�s wrong�everything�s fine.� Andrea said, shaking her head. Kerri looked down at Salamon. �Salamon, what�s wrong with her?� Salamon shook her head. �I don�t know. She�s been like this ever since Cincomon brought her back to our cell.� �How did you escape?� Tim quizzed. �Let�s just say I have my ways.� Salamon informed them with a smile. �Okay�� Onomon trailed off. �Hey, look at this!� Eaglemon shouted, hovering in mid-air and staring attentively at Andrea�s chest. �Eaglemon!� Salamon protested. �I thought you only had eyes for me!� �Huh?� Eaglemon uttered. �No, no, I was looking at her crest! It�s strange�� �What�s strange?� Khalid asked, also peering at the crest. A look of understanding came to his face and he looked up at Andrea. �Andrea, do you mind if I take your crest for a second?� �No, I don�t mind.� Andrea said. Khalid pulled her crest out of her top by the string and held it in his hands. The Digidestined and their Digimon crowded round Andrea to take a look at the object in the tag. Andrea�s crest was absorbing light around it, making it appear to glow black. The Digidestined gasped and stared at the charm. �What�s wrong with Andi�s crest?� Tim asked. �Something like that happened to my crest.� Sam said. �What! When?� Khalid asked. �Some time ago.� Sam explained. �I acted selfishly, and my crest glowed black because I had betrayed it.� �So you�re saying Andrea acted emotionless and this happened?� Kerri said. �No, no!� Salamon interrupted. �That didn�t happen! The crest was glowing black, and that caused her to act like this!� �But how could it happen in reverse?� Sam asked. �Did you say this happened when she spoke to Cincomon?� Darren questioned. �Yeah, why?� Salamon replied. �Did Cincomon do something to the crest?� Eaglemon asked. �I don�t know, I wasn�t there.� Salamon informed. �I just want Andrea to go back to normal�� �Don�t worry Salamon, I�m fine.� Andrea uttered, with a coldness that didn�t seem human. �Oh, Andrea!� Khalid exclaimed, reaching into a pocket and pulling out her Digivice tracking device. He extended his hand in offering to her. �I forgot to give this back to you!� Andrea took the device back from him and clipped it to her Digivice. She turned back to him with an emotionless expression. �Thank you Khalid.� �Andrea, what�s wrong with you?� Kerri screamed, grabbing Andrea by the shoulders and shaking her. Andrea merely shook her head. �Nothing is wrong.� Andrea said. �I�m fine.� �There you are, Digidestined!� They heard a voice call. The entire group turned and saw a humanoid Digimon dressed in a camouflage military uniform carrying a large rifle and wearing a strange mask. Several Bakemon flanked him. �Who are you?� Adrian asked. �Ha! Pathetic Digidestined! My name is Commandomon, the leader of Cincomon�s army and an ultimate level Digimon!� Commandomon informed them. �You can�t possibly beat me! I eat bullets for breakfast! Literally!� �Let�s see what you can do, then!� Sam said. �Everyone, Digivolve!� �Shocamon Digivolve to�Fusemon!� �Onomon Digivolve to�Katonomon!� �Tridemon Digivolve to�Novadramon!� �Eaglemon Digivolve to�Abdulmon!� �Salamon Digivolve to�Gatomon!� �Moosemon Digivolve to�Wumon!� �Slipmon Digivolve to�Hereticmon!� �Slythamon Digivolve to�Serpemon!� The eight champion level Digimon approached Commandomon. �Infantry!� Commandomon shouted. �Remember your training! Charge!� The Bakemon all hovered past Commandomon and towards the Digidestined. �Shockcannon!� Fusemon declared, firing a ball of electricity at the Bakemon, who immediately died. Fusemon, however, collapsed after he had fired the shot, and Tim approached him. �Fusemon! What�s wrong, bud?� �I�think�I�m all�Digivolved out.� Fusemon said between heavy breaths. �Hmm�you have been Digivolving a lot lately.� Tim replied. �Same here�� Hereticmon muttered. �Novadramon�s the same!� Sam said. �Our Digimon need a break.� Adrian commented, standing beside Katonomon, who was laying down in exhaustion. �How about that, the battlefield is already scattered with casualties and the battle hasn�t even started!� Commandomon sneered. �I�m absolutely fine! Lightning Claw!� Gatomon cried, jumping at Commandomon with her claws extended. Commandomon hit her aside with the side of his rifle. �Bullet Rain!� Commandomon declared, firing a spray of bullets from the rifle at Gatomon. The cat Digimon just about managed to jump out of the way before the bullets hit her. �Mega Wing!� Abdulmon announced, firing a red ball of energy from his wing. �Antler Shot!� Wumon cried, leaning forward and firing his antlers. �Snake Pulse!� Serpemon said, firing a pulse of white energy from her body at Commandomon. The foe kneeled down and fired his gun at Serpemon and Wumon�s attacks, causing both of the attacks to be deleted. He used his gun as a bat to hit away Abdulmon�s attack, and it created a hole in the wall. Kerri, meanwhile, was still holding onto Andrea�s shoulders. �Andrea, you�ve got to listen!� Kerri shouted. �Please go back to normal!� �But I am normal.� Andrea said. �That�s it!� Kerri exclaimed, and with a scream, she raised her hand and slapped Andrea. Andrea rubbed her cheek and looked back at her. �Why did you do that?� Andrea asked. Kerri shook her head and began to cry, leaning on Andrea�s shoulder. �No, you�re not supposed to ask why I did it�� Kerri said, sobbing. �You�re supposed to hit me back�� �But hitting you back would achieve nothing.� Andrea said. Kerri looked up at Andrea, tears running down her cheeks. �I know it wouldn�t, but that�s what you�re supposed to do�� �Why?� �Because�� Kerri begun. �Because I want the old Andrea back!� Kerri looked down at her chest between sobs; her crest was glowing brightly beneath her T-shirt. Then she turned back to the battle as Abdulmon became shrouded in a red ball with the symbol of friendship etched into it. �Abdulmon Digivolve to�� The bird Digimon cried, before the red ball disappeared, leaving a huge bird Digimon who had big cannons on his wings and was covered in metallic feathers. His head feathers were arranged in a curtain over his eyes, much like Abdulmon. �MetalAbdulmon!� �Abdulmon Digivolved�� Kerri trailed off. �What�s this?� Commandomon said. �A new secret weapon?� �Hardly.� MetalAbdulmon spoke in a calm, deep voice. �My name is MetalAbdulmon, the ultimate form of Abdulmon. My Wing Cannon attack will be sufficient to eliminate you, Commandomon!� �Let�s see you try!� Commandomon shouted. �Bullet Rain!� Commandomon fired a storm of bullets at MetalAbdulmon, but the bird Digimon simply raised his wing. The bullets hardly made a dent in his armour. �Wow, that�s one tough canary�� Wumon spoke. �I�d say!� Gatomon agreed. �If all birds were that tough, I�d stick to cat food!� �Feather Squall!� MetalAbdulmon cried, firing a storm of razor-sharp metal feathers at Commandomon. These scratched the foe in several places, causing his entire body to sting as though it were on fire. �No, I must win!� Commandomon declared, looking up at MetalAbdulmon. �Bullet Rain!� �Wing Cannon!� MetalAbdulmon shouted, firing huge red balls of energy from his wing-mounted cannons. These flew through the bullets, deleting them, and towards Commandomon. The opponent Digimon just about managed to raise his defences, before the attack knocked him back into the far wall. �Ugh�� Commandomon muttered, returning to his feet. �I believe I have bested you.� MetalAbdulmon said simply. �Now concede defeat or face deletion!� �He who fights and runs away! Gas Grenade!� Commandomon said, pulling out a canister and throwing it to the ground. It exploded, creating a cloud of gas, which obscured the vision of MetalAbdulmon and the others. When the gas cleared, Commandomon was nowhere to be seen. All the Digimon, with the exception of MetalAbdulmon, returned to their rookie forms. �Hey, he�s gone!� Khalid spoke. Darren growled. �That really annoys me.� �I admit that I am dismayed at my foe�s disappearance.� MetalAbdulmon said. �But because he is no longer present, I believe that we may make our escape.� �But we have to fight Cincomon!� Kerri said. �Maybe then Andi will get back to normal!� �I appreciate your predicament, Kerri.� MetalAbdulmon said. �But it has come to my attention that my fellow Digimon are very tired and hungry. I cannot face Cincomon alone, and I feel that if we face him in this state, our defeat would be guaranteed.� �He speaks sense.� Tim said. �Yeah, and he has a better vocabulary than me�� Sam muttered. �What should we do, then?� Kerri asked, looking up at him. �I think it would be best if we escaped and searched for a source of nourishment, such as a restaurant or cafeteria.� MetalAbdulmon advised. �Once we have stocked up on energy, we can return to this place, where we can face and defeat Cincomon. You all can ride on my back, and I will delete the wall with my wing cannons.� There was a moment of silence. Then Kerri smiled and approached him, tears still running down her face. �I�ve got the smartest Digimon.� Kerri said. �I�m so darn proud.� The Digidestined and Digimon all climbed onto MetalAbdulmon�s back, and the bird Digimon faced the nearby wall, readying his cannons. �Wing Cannon!� MetalAbdulmon announced, firing some energy at the wall, and it was deleted under the force of the blow. The Digidestined cheered as MetalAbdulmon took off and flew out of the hole he had created. |